When I'm With You
by CecilaAlice
Summary: "When I'm with you, I'm standing with an army."
1. Chapter 1

"Stella!"

The world stopped. Her little sister's body lay unmoving among the rubble and a ringing in her ears made everything muffled, like it was far away. Her feet were glued to the ground and tears burned her eyes as everything seemed to move in slow motion. Explosions sounded for miles as the planes whistled overhead and people were screaming – even her, she realized. Her little sister's name running off the end of her tongue to no avail. It was too late. Someone was pulling at her arms and her clothes, gripping around her middle and bruising her ribs in an attempt to save her from this nightmare but it didn't matter. This moment would haunt her for the rest of her life, the image of her little sister lying there pale with a layer of blood and dust coating her skin would be forever burned into her memory.

Absolutely no one would be able to save her from this nightmare.

Xxx

" _Stella!"_

 _Faster. She just had to go faster. If she got there quicker this time she just knew she would be able to save her sister. But the faster she ran, the further away her sister got. There was an explosion behind her and she screamed as her body was thrown a good ten feet. She closed her eyes before she hit the ground, hoping and praying that this was the end and she would be put out of her misery. That this terrible nightmare would be over if she just-_

"Jane!"

The blonde sat straight up in her bed, almost knocking heads with whoever had woken her from her slumber. She was sweating and out of breath, her whole body shaking. Looking around frantically when she felt a weight on her mattress and she jumped.

"Jane, it's just me." The woman put a comforting hand on the girl's arm and Jane finally looked at her. She took a deep breath and raked her fingers through her long waves of hair, letting her body slump over with her elbows perched on her knees and her fingers tangled in the hair at the back of her head.

"Sorry Auntie Clara, was I screaming again?" she mumbled into her thighs.

"No dear, it's just," she paused, "It's time."

Jane sat up slowly, her shoulders suddenly feeling very heavy, "Oh."

There was a silence between them – one that was sad and looming. Jane glanced up at her aunt just in time to see the tears brimming the woman's eyes and her sadness suddenly felt so far away. She reached out to comfort her aunt, but the woman wiped her tears away and hurriedly got to her feet. Jane pulled her hands back cautiously and Aunt Clara took a strengthening breath, "I've got your tea and breakfast ready for you."

One corner of her mouth pulled up into a weak smile as a thank you. For as long as she'd been alive, Aunt Clara was adamant about making sure everyone received tea and breakfast in the morning, and it seems she wasn't about to give this habit up anytime soon – war or not. Jane nodded, "Okay, I'll be down soon."

"Okay, dear." She gave a sad smile and kissed her forehead and left her alone. She watched her slip out of the room and pull the door to a crack. As soon as she was gone Jane let her face fall into her hands, fighting the sobs that threatened to tip through her. She hadn't gotten any sleep in weeks and her body was starting to take a toll because of it. After a moment to gather herself she slipped out from under the covers and padded over to her vanity mirror – or rather, her aunt's guest room vanity mirror. She looked like a ghost who'd been in a boxing match, with her skin looking so pale and the circles under her eyes so heavy. She sighed, knowing there was nothing she could do about it and splashed some water on her face. Where she was going, no one was going to care anyway.

Once she felt a little more refreshed, she towel dried her face and ran a brush through her hair. Normally she would have pinned large rollers to her head to create a fashionable curl for the time, but that was before…

She shook her head to stop the tears from reaching the surface. She didn't have time for another break down. She was lucky to have just a little bit of natural curl to her hair so that when she pulled it up out of her face it was still presentable to show the public. With her hair done and her face washed, she pulled on her best dress; which was now the only dress she owned. Some families got lucky during the air raids: their houses were salvageable – or at least some of their belongings were. Jane's family was not so lucky. All they had were the clothes on their back. But however unlucky they were in what they had lost, they were lucky in other ways. Her mother's sister, her Aunt Clara, had a house that was not as badly damaged, and she was kind enough to allow her mother and her to stay with them. She was also kind enough to lend them some of her old clothes – one dress fit Jane well enough. She'd saved it from her younger days in the hopes of passing it down to her own daughter someday. Jane held the fabric in between her fingers and let her eyes wander the pattern. It was a little baggy, but it was something. With a smile tugging at the corner of her lip, she pulled the dress over her head and did her best to make it lay properly. With all the wrinkles and creases, she wondered just how long it had been stored away.

"Jane, dearie. Are you ready?" her mother called from the other side of the door and she took a deep breath.

"Yes, Mother."

With one last look in the mirror, she wiped a stray tear from her cheek and joined her mother and aunt in the kitchen. Stopping just inside the doorframe, she watched the last two women in her family preparing breakfast. It was just the three of them now. Clara and her husband never had any children of their own, and all the men had been sent to fight in the war, and after the accident with Stella…

"Jane! You're up."

Her mother brought her out of her thoughts and she gave a weak smile. Since the bombing Jane had done the best she could at being strong for her mother, but she knew she wasn't doing a good job. One look at her and you could see how broken she was. But her mother knew she was trying and that was all that mattered. The would be as strong as they could be for each other. So, when her mother slid her arms around her waist, she hugged her back and didn't let go until her mother was ready. She watched Aunt Clara place the last plate on the table and look at her with the most encouraging smile she could muster. Her mother and aunt looked so much alike. Some would say they looked more like twins. With sharp jawlines and high cheekbones that made their eyes look slenderer than they were, they were considered beauties of their time. Their eyes were the color of the sea, with flecks of gold splattered throughout, giving the illusion that their eyes changed color. It was merely a trick of the light, and sometimes it even depended on the color of their clothes. This magic trick was something that Jane had inherited from her mother's family. She and her sister both had the same brilliant blue eyes and they were always very proud of it.

She hated the sight of them now.

"Jane, dear, why don't you have something to eat?"

"I'm not really that hungry." The words came out of her mouth, though her feet still led her to an empty seat at the table in front of a full plate of food. The women watched her with pitiful eyes. Everyone knew this day was coming, but the knowledge didn't make it any easier. Clara placed an arm around her sister's shoulders at the sight of her unshed tears. She'd already lost one child, and now she was being forced to send another one away. With the squeeze of a hand, the women joined Jane at the table and the three of them ate their breakfast in silence. Once they were done, Aunt Clara started to clear the table, but with a glance at the clock, a look of panic crossed her usually calm and collected features.

"Oh heavens, we're late." She left the plates as they were and cleaned her hands off with a towel that had been thrown over her shoulder. Jane and her mother were quick to gather themselves, thankful that Jane's bag had already been packed and sat by the door. They slipped into their coats and Clara grabbed Jane's single bag as they slipped out the door without a second thought. Jane was barely able to grab one last glance at her aunt's home as she was dragged into a taxi and away from the life she knew.

Xxx

At the train station, Jane barely had any time to say goodbye. The train was just about to pull out of the station when they tracked down one of the military men that was a part of the evacuation staff, in charge of getting all the children on the train. Once Jane had been checked in and led to her carriage, the man tried to usher her onto the train, but her mother stopped him, wanting a chance to say goodbye to her only child.

"Ma'am, we really have to get this train rollin'." He warned.

"I know, I know, just one moment. Please." There were already tears in her eyes and the man let out a deep breath, giving a curt nod and standing to the side, hovering to let them know they didn't have long. Her mother turned back to her daughter, holding her shoulders and pushing a stray hair away from her face, "Jane, darling," she paused, trying to keep herself together but there was no point. Jane was just as close to tears as she was. She wrapped her arms around her mother's frame and simply took in what might be their last embrace. But it was cut short, the evacuation officer giving them their final warning and they hugged just a bit tighter, if that was even possible.

"I love you so much, Mum."

"I love you, too, Janey." She pulled away and Jane had just a moment to hug her aunt Clara, thanking her for everything she'd done for them before she was ushered onto the train. The evacuation officer closed the door behind her and signaled down the line that the last child had been seen to. From the window of the door, Jane waved goodbye to her family until she couldn't see them anymore. When they were out of sight, she felt the smile slowly fade from her face and her arm fall to her side. This was it, she was completely alone. This thought affected her more deeply than she thought it would and she took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before letting it go. If there was ever a time to be strong, it was now. She grabbed her one bag and started her search for an empty seat.


	2. Chapter 2

Jane had no idea there were this many children in London. Everywhere was full and she'd never been around so many people in such a tight space in her life. She finally found what she hoped was an empty seat, though the compartment itself was quite full, with six children already seated inside. She took a deep breath and slid open the door with a shy smile. All the children looked up at her actions and she could feel her face beating bright red, but she cleared her throat and spoke as confidently as she could, "I'm terribly sorry, but would it be alright if I sat here with you all?"

She didn't get any verbal response but they all nodded their approval and she nodded her head in appreciation. She stepped through and closed the door behind her, placing her bag in the overhead compartment, taking a seat closest to the door she'd just entered through. Everyone went back to their previous activities – reading, taking in the scenery, playing with a stuffed toy – while Jane started to take in her traveling companions. On the one side across from her were sat four children, two boys and two girls, with an obvious family resemblance. Beside here were another pair of siblings, a boy and a girl. The girl was glancing at the tag that was pinned to her front, reminding Jane of her own label. She looked down and picked up the tag, trying to decipher where exactly they were taking her. All she knew was that she was staying with a professor and she was being collected by a Ms. McCready. Since it was just her, it was likely she would be placed with other children, but she was never given that information. She took a deep breath and dropped the tag, seeing as it was obvious she wasn't going to be getting anymore information out of it than she already knew. She looked toward the window and found that one of the boys, the older one, about her age it seemed, was glancing up at her from his book. He gave a friendly smile and she returned the favor before settling in for the long ride.

* * *

The trip was one of the longest train rides of Jane had ever endured. It felt as if she'd been on that train for days, not hours. They'd dropped off the brother and sister in their compartment a long time ago and Jane had made herself comfortable next to the window. The other four children also found themselves spreading out for the long trip, with the older boy switching to the seats next to hers. However, finally, just before nightfall, the train stopped at a small station, so small there wasn't even a ticket booth, only meant for drop-offs it seemed. The train stopped, and all the children were alert, waiting for their names to be called.

"Pevensies! Davies!"

Jane took a deep breath and stood to gather what little belongings she had, and to her surprise, so did the other four children. They all glanced at each other and the oldest boy smiled again.

"It seems we've been placed together." He said. Jane gave a small nod and smile, pulling her bag down from overhead once she'd gotten her coat buttoned and then followed the siblings out the platform.

The train left them alone and confused, stranded in the English countryside with no sign of anyone anywhere. There was a very small, one lane dirt road that crossed the tracks by the platform, but the five of them were unsure of what to do next. Jane could feel anxiety rising in her chest. If they'd been dropped off at the wrong station, how on earth were they going to get any help? There wasn't anything around for as far as she could see. But, just before they were all about to panic, the sound of a car reached their ears. It sounded like it was heading towards them and the siblings all took for the stairs with Jane following behind after a moment's hesitation. There was a car! Though unfortunately it drove right by them with a rude honk. Jane thought she saw everyone's shoulders drop with her own and she sighed.

"The professor knew we were coming." The older girl finally spoke up, though she didn't sound very confident in her statement.

"Perhaps we've been incorrectly labeled." The younger boy lifted his tag and glanced over the words again and Jane wondered if he knew what it meant, seeing as she couldn't make heads or tales of it. Susan picked up her own tag and thinned her lips in frustration. She looked up at Jane and approached her cautiously, "Um, do you mind if I have a look?"

She gestured to Jane's tag and she looked down at the little paper between her fingers, nodding at the girl with a small smile, "Of course. If you can understand it, be my guest."

They both chuckled and began comparing notes just as another sound grabbed their attention. It was coming from the same direction that the car had come from. An older lady was driving a horse-drawn buggy, though the buggy wasn't any kind of buggy Jane had ever seen. It had a seat for the driver, but the back was flat, with seat-like benches along the sides. It looked like it was better suited for cargo than people. She exchanged a glance with the older siblings and the oldest boy cleared his throat nervously.

"Mrs. Macready?" he said.

"I'm afraid so." Her face remained very stern. She sat with perfect posture and watched them with judgmental eyes, "Is this it, then?"

The children all looked around each other, admittedly a little confused by her comment. The siblings all had at least eight bags between them and with Jane's one that made nine. By Jane's standard, that was quite a bit of luggage.

"Haven't you brought anything else?" Mrs. Macready urged.

"No, ma'am." The boy spoke again, "It's just us."

"Small favors." She nodded her understanding and gestured them to the trailer behind her. All the children were quick to gather themselves and load up their things, the oldest siblings helping the younger ones in once all the luggage was stowed away. The oldest boy was kind enough to take Jane's bag and help her onto the trailer once he'd gotten his littlest sister in. Jane was grateful for the helping hand and took it with a low thank you. She looked down at the smallest sibling beside her and was surprised to find her looking up at her with a kind, welcoming smile. She did her best to return the favor, but after the long day they'd had she was exhausted. She hoped she didn't come across as prude or snobbish to these other children she'd been spending God-knows how much time with.

Once they were all settled in, Mrs. Macready ushered the horse to go forward, crossing the train tracks and making a loop a little ways ahead so that they were now heading back the way she came – towards the professor's home. The trailer was rickety, and a tad too small to be carrying five children without bumping knees with someone. But when they came up on their new living quarters, Jane couldn't help but to breathe out in awe. The professor's home was not a simple home in the country but a grand mansion sitting on acres and acres of beautiful green grass.

Mrs. Macready stopped the carriage behind the mansion and the children were just as quick to obey her orders of following her inside as they were to load up the trailer. They did as they were told, staying on her heels as she led them inside without saying a word, the children taking in the magnificence of the home and listening to Mrs. Macready's welcoming speech as they walked up several flights of beautiful oak stairs.

"Professor Kirke is not accustomed to havin' children in this house." She said, "And, as such, there are a few rules we need to follow. There will be no shoutin'. Or runnin'. No improper use of the dumbwaiter. No touchin' of the historical artifacts!"

Jane jumped at the sudden rise in her voice, turning to see the older sister's hand outstretched towards a marble bust of someone she couldn't even begin to guess who it was. She glanced her way and Jane raised her eyebrows in shock, unsure of what to say or do. She, like the other children, decided it best to keep their mouths shut and their hands to themselves as Mrs. Macready continued her tour of the house.

"And above all, there shall be no disturbin' of the professor."

She continued up the stairs and the children followed close behind, lugging their belongings with them and remaining on their best behavior. They were shown to their rooms – three rooms in the same hall, decorated with lavish furnishings that looked as if they hadn't been used in a decade, although kept very clean and presentable. There were other rooms down the hall and Jane couldn't help but wonder how many rooms this place had. She followed Mrs. Macready as the boys received their room, and the other two girls received a room where they would have to share a bed, and she was given a room to herself. Once she was inside, Mrs. Macready bid her a good night and shut the door. Jane jumped at the sound, though she didn't slam it, and gave a deep sigh. She couldn't decide if she was happy to have a room to herself or not. She was thankful to have a moment alone, yes, but she'd always shared a room with her sister. Even when staying at her Aunt Clara's, having a bedroom to herself made it hard for her to sleep. She sighed again and set her bags down, falling backwards onto the bed behind her. She stared at the ceiling and let the tears fall freely. It was getting late, and she would've been lying if she said she wasn't tired. Having been on the train all day and after everything that's happened, she was exhausted. She thought about sleeping right then and there, fully dressed and all, but a knock on the door made her shoot up, wiping the tears away fast as her bedroom door opened slowly with a creak. The older sibling peeped inside with a cautious smile, but upon noticing Jane's distress she backtracked. Jane could see she was fighting a battle, unsure of whether to give her space or to comfort her.

"I'm so sorry, is this a bad time?" she said finally.

"No, no, no, it's really alright. Come in, please." She dried the last of her tears and flashed a reassuring smile. The girl returned it and stepped inside, taking a seat on the bed next to her.

"How are you doing?"

Jane chuckled, understanding that she was trying to be polite considering they were basically strangers and she smiled at her again, "I'll be alright. How are you and your siblings?"

"We're all…handling it." She hesitated and Jane was sure there was probably a lot of family drama happening, but it was understandable. They were all kids, and they were alone and scared and trying to understand what was happening in the world. War was devastating like that, as it was in so many other ways. Jane nodded her understanding and the two sat in a slightly awkward silence.

"I'm Susan, by the way." The girl said after a moment. Jane smiled.

"I'm Jane."

"It's wonderful to meet you. I realized that you were here alone here and since there's really no telling how long we're going to be here together I wanted to go ahead and introduce myself and my siblings."

Jane's face faltered at the mention of her being here alone, but she pushed the tears back and cleared her throat, moving past it. She really didn't want to unload all that baggage onto this girl she had just met. She probably had her own problems to deal with in these troubled times, "That's very kind of you. Thank you."

Susan nodded and got to her feet, "Well, I know it's late. I won't keep you. But, Lucy, Edmund, Peter, and I were thinking about going out for some fresh air and exploring the grounds tomorrow. Would you like to join us?"

"That sounds lovely, I would love to."

"Good. We will see you in the morning."

"Looking forward to it."


	3. Chapter 3

Jane woke the next morning feeling just as tired and worn out as she did before she went to sleep. At the rate she was going she thought she might die of sleep deprivation. She sat up and ran her fingers through her tangled hair, sweat dampening the roots. She needed to shower. With a sigh she threw the blankets to the side and let her legs dangle over the edge of the bed. She hadn't bothered unpacking the night before so she would have to find her shower things – and the bathroom. She thought she'd seen it at the end of the hall when Mrs. MaCready was showing everyone their rooms. So, once the bed was made and she'd gathered her things, she donned a house coat and headed to towards her bedroom door. She tried to stay quiet, considering the time of morning, but when she cracked open the door and peered outside she was reminded of just how big the professor's home was. She no longer worried about the noise – no one was going to hear her. She stepped into the hall and closed the door behind her, turning on her heel to head for the bathroom when she bumped into something, she steadied herself and immediately started apologizing, afraid it might be the professor or Mrs. MaCready.

"It's okay, it was my fault." The voice sounded familiar, and it was definitely not Mrs. MaCready or the professor. She glanced up and found the oldest Pevensie standing in front of her. Peter was his name, if she remembered correctly. They locked eyes and Jane found that she was lost in a sky of blue. Her heart was pounding and she finally had to pull her gaze away, clearing her throat and apologizing again. That's when she noticed she'd dropped her shampoo bottle and reached down to pick it up, only to bump heads with Peter just as he was bending over to do the same. They both yelped in pain and rubbed their heads but one look at each other and they couldn't help but laugh. Peter grabbed the bottle and they got back to their feet.

"I'm Peter." He returned the bottle and Jane took it with a shy smile.

"Jane."

"It's good to finally meet you. Susan said she stopped by last night."

"She did. She'd very kind."

"She can be."

Jane furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, but in realizing that he was making a joke at his sister's expense she gave a quiet chuckle and silence fell over them. They stood there awkwardly with both of them looking everywhere but each other.

"Pardon the intrusion, but Susan said you were having a bit of a hard time. How are you holding up?"

Jane bit her lip in thought. Truthfully, her nightmares had kept her up all night, she was still exhausted from the day before, and she missed her family. All in all, she wasn't holding up well at all. But he had other things to deal with, and they didn't even actually know each other. So she put on a brave face and smiled up at him, lying straight through her teeth, "I was able to get some sleep, so I'm doing better this morning."

He didn't believe it one bit, but he didn't pry.

"Susan tells me you all are planning on going out for some fresh air around the grounds later today." Jane said after a bit of silence. She was finding that she really enjoyed Peter's company and was reluctant to let this encounter end.

"Yes," he stated, a little over zealous in his response before clearing his throat and dialing it back a bit, clearly happy that she had found a way to keep the conversation going, "Lucy's feeling rather homesick and we thought a bit of fresh air and sun might do her some good."

"Oh, poor thing! I wish I could say I didn't know what she was feeling. Some fresh air sounds like a lovely idea."

"So you'll join us then?" he smiled.

"Yes, Susan invited me last night."

"Oh. That's great. I'll see you in a bit then?"

"Seeing as I don't have much else to do, I'll be there."

Peter chuckled and took his leave while Jane continued down the hall for her shower. Her heart was beating a million miles a minute and she couldn't stop smiling. Maybe it wasn't so bad here after all.

* * *

Jane heard the thunder just as she was finishing up with her hair. She jumped at the noise and ran to the window on the other side of the bathroom. It was absolutely pouring rain outside. No sun, no blue sky, no fresh air. She sighed, feeling bad for Lucy who was probably so excited for this. She moped back to the mirror to finish her hair, now dreading the day to come with nothing to do. She returned her things to her room started down the hall towards Susan and Lucy's room. Susan was the only one there and Jane hesitatantly knocked on the door to get her attention. She smiled when she saw her at the door.

"So much for some fresh air." Jane said sadly.

"I know. Not such a great start to our stay." Susan joined her and gestured down the hall, "Come on, everyone's in one of the sitting rooms."

"One of them?" Jane said in awe. Both girls chuckled and headed to join the other children. Upon entering the room, Jane was taken aback by the splender of it. This entire house was nothing like her family's back home. It was very dark, though she was sure if the sun had been shining it would have poured in through the large window that Lucy was staring out of and brightened the whole room. But she could hear the rain tapping on the window and she could feel how gloomy everyone felt just by stepping into the room. Peter turned from examining to the shelves of books at the girls' entrance and went to stand with Jane.

"Dreadful luck about the weather." He said.

"I know, I feel so bad for Lucy. I know she was really looking forward to this."

"Rain doesn't last forever. We'll go out when the rain lets up."

He nodded, "You, um, look very nice."

She was a bit taken aback by his comment, though she couldn't help the bashfulness that flooded over her, "Oh, thank you. This dress is a, um, old family dress."

They continued with idle chatter until Susan suggested a game that involved the dictionary and everyone was immediately put off by it, but she insisted.

"'Gastrovascular.'" Susan said, the largest dictionary the world had ever known laid across her lap. Jane was sat on the floor in front of Peter's chair, toying with the hem of her skirt, watching Edmund defile the bottom of another chair across the room with a knife. Lucy hadn't moved from her seat at the window and when no one responded to her word, Susan gave a defeated sigh, "Come on, Peter. Gastrovascular."

Peter was messing with a loose thread in his chair and gave an aggravated huff, "Is it Latin?"

"Yes."

"Is it Latin for 'worst game ever invented'?" Edmund sat up from his handiwork and they all chuckled, though Susan didn't seem to find her brother's comment very funny. She glared at him and slammed the book shut, discarding it on the couch next to her.

"We could play hide and seek." Lucy left her perch by the window and approached her oldest brother with hopeful eyes. He looked at her a moment before turning to Susan, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"But we're already having so much fun."

Jane chuckled, earning a nasty look from Susan. She cleared her throat and looked down at the carpet she was sitting on, listening to Lucy beg her brother to play a new game. It didn't take long to convince him and his only reply was to start counting. With the biggest of smiles she took off to find a hiding spot. Edmund and Susan weren't happy about it, but they obliged and Jane followed on their heels. They all scattered about the house, Peter's counting fading in the distance. Jane turned a corner and saw Susan fold herself into an empty trunk. She continued circling the house until she came back to the sitting room and decided that if she was good and quiet she could hide right under Peter's nose. She tip-toed in, unknowing of Peter's good hearing and wandering eye, and tried her best to slide under the couch without making a sound. Once she was settled, she waiting for Peter to reach 100 and remained very still and quiet.

"Ready or not, here I come!" he shouted. Jane watched his feet head out of the room and she couldn't help but let out a little giggle once she thought she was alone. She started to crawl out from under the couch but she stilled when she thought she heard footsteps. It was quiet for only a moment when someone dropped to the floor behind her.

"Got ya!" Peter called. She yelped, rolling to face him and his beaming smile. After the initial shock she smiled too and he helped her out from under the couch to assist him in finding everyone else. They had just stepped out of the room and Jane swore she heard Lucy shouting. She led Peter down the hall and when they turned the corner they found Lucy standing in plain sight with Ed, looking very unamused, peeking out from behind a curtain.

"You know, I'm not sure you two have quite got the idea of this game." Peter approached them with Jane standing close by.

"Weren't you wondering where I was?" Lucy said. Jane furrowed her eyebrows at the young girl's question as Edmund came out from his hiding place.

"That's the point." He said, visibly frustrated, "That was why he was seeking you."

"Does this mean I win?" Susan joined them from behind with a big smile.

"I don't think Lucy wants to play anymore." Peter said.

"I've been gone for hours." Lucy said, obviously just as confused as the rest of them. Her older siblings looked at her as if she was crazy, but Jane had a funny feeling about the whole thing. Something told her to believe the youngest Pevensie.

"Well, where exactly have you been all this time?" she said. Lucy gave a small smile, almost as a thank you for at least trying to believe her, and led her to one of the spare rooms down the hall. There wasn't anything inside except a very large and very beautifully crafted wardrobe.

"So you're saying there's a snow covered wood in this wardrobe?" Peter asked, watching Edmund and Susan examine the piece of furniture after hearing Lucy's story of Narnia, the wood at the back of the wardrobe. The two knocked on the back panel, inside and out, but found nothing.

"Lucy, the only wood in here is the back of the wardrobe." Susan said.

"One game at a time, Lu. We don't all have your imagination." Peter looked on at her with an expression of pity. She was young and scared and probably just trying to cope with what was happening in the world around her. Jane saw a lot of her little sister in her and it made her heart ache. Peter, Susan, and Edmund started to leave and Lucy watched them go for a moment before stopping them.

"But I wasn't imagining!"

"That's enough, Lucy." Susan turned on her heel with her brothers, irritation rising in her chest.

"I wouldn't lie about this!"

"Well, I believe you."

Lucy turned to Edmund in shock, much like the rest of the children. Even after only knowing him for a half a day Jane could tell that he was the troublemaker of the bunch and this was unlike him. He had something up his sleeve and she knew it before the words even left his mouth.

"You do?" Lucy questioned.

"Yeah, of course. DIdn't I tell you about the football field in the cupboards?"

A look of hurt spread over Lucy's features and Jane wanted nothing more than to go to her. But this was not her family, not her place. She felt a little wrong for being here, knowing how hard this must be for all of them. But Peter stepped up, obviously done with his brother's antics, "Will you just stop? You just have to make everything worse, don't you?"

"It was just a joke!"

"When are you gonna learn to grow up?"

"Shut up! You think you're Dad, but you're not!"

He shoved past Susan and out of the room, leaving the rest of them in silence. The oldest siblings exchanged a look. Susan was not pleased, and she made sure to let Peter know before going after Edmund. Jane decided to go to Lucy for support, placing a hand on her shoulder first and when Lucy leaned into her she embraced her fully.

"But," she whimpered, "it really was there."

Peter turned to the two girls that were left, giving Jane the most apologetic look he could muster and not even looking away from her when he spoke, "Susan's right, Lucy. That's enough."


End file.
